This. There are several OTTBs at my barn and none of them are roarers as far as I know.
Definitely take the time to find something without so many upfront concerns. Even setting the roaring aside, it seems this mare would have other issues that could easily run into thousands of dollars and lots of time to address. Better to save a bit more if necessary to get something that is more ready to be enjoyed as a first horse right off the bat.
Nope. Not a real thing. I’ve known several OTTBs (I own one, in fact) and none of them have had roaring issues.
You’re making a smart decision by walking away. If the seller “forgot” to disclose the roaring, and actually told you it’s nothing to worry about, what else are they “forgetting” to tell you?
I feel sorry for this poor mare, though. She’s not trained well enough to just bebop around the pasture on, probably not quiet enough for trails, but not sound enough for the ring. Maybe with a better rider who can actually give her a foundation, she’d stand a chance, but if what I see in that video is any indication . . .
Sometimes, roarers are surprisingly quiet…the ones I’ve known have all been pretty quiet. I always thought it might be because they couldn’t get enough air for mischief.
Edited to add quiet in temperament. You can hear them very well.
Definitely keep looking, and try to stay objective. I think when you’re looking for a first horse, it’s very easy to fall in love with everything you see. You start imagining it in your barn, yourself riding and showing it… try not to do that dreaming until the contract is signed and the money handed over. From the posts about your experience level, you need something that is more trained and has fewer issues. And that is okay! You want to have fun and be able to learn and build a partnership with your first horse, not be frustrated by a project with expensive medical needs. Take your time and wait for the right fit.
Ha! Brb, going to go Botox my horse’s larynx. We’ll make it an annual thing every January 
Great idea!!! 
I did ask a vet that question once, since the one’s I’ve known were quiet. She said she actually never thought about it. which was a fine answer to me.
I understand it’s a thing in Quarter Horses to keep the head low.
Glad you got confirmation it’s a roarer - was going to comment, as I just saw this post that “it 1,000% is”.
I have a mare who just had an arytenoidectomy in December to correct her roaring - Grade IV, apparent at the canter. The arytenoidectomy was $2,028 and then roughly $700 to stay at the vet clinic for a month following surgery (primarily because it was a low dust environment and also because we didn’t want other customers shocked at the open wound recovery process).
This was one week post-op (if you’re squeamish - don’t click): https://www.instagram.com/p/CmuaY--JMlV/
I have been very pleased with her progress; I opted to do the arytenoidectomy instead of the tie-back surgery as it has a much higher long-term success rate and was roughly the same cost. My mare was a good candidate for either. I bred my mare, so I feel I’m obligated to continue to care for her - but a) buying a horse with this problem b) as a first horse - HARD pass.
What is it that you like about her?
Look at the pelham in this pic and compare/contrast this horse with the mare in your pic. Bit, bridle fit, throatlatch, horses’ ears and eyes.
This pic is all I could see of the WSJ article linked in this thread (WSJ wouldn’t let me read the article itself 
). –
Horses who get ace often make noise when they exhale when they work. I think it’s because their flap system, so to speak, gets lazy. So that’s something maybe to follow up on. Course plenty make noises when they don’t have ace, too.
… and has a large verdant pasture for the ones who end up as ornaments. It may take time to decide that is the situation.
OP, I would be looking for something NO YOUNGER THAN 10, with at least 5 years of solid work under their belt, doing what it is you want to be doing in a year or two.
This is based on your posting history.
Roaring aside (that’s a nonstarter) I would never purchase I horse that was shown to me in an indoor, by an adult man, while bridled in a pelham with a flash noseband. Especially one that is behind the leg at the trot when you ride it. As others have said, the horse is green.
That bridle set up shows that that very little time has been spent on retraining the mare since she’s been off the track.
Yes.
Now I have a further question for the OP.
Where is your current coach in the mix? Did your current coach send you to see this horse, look at any videos, or suggest it’s a good horse for you? If so do they know the sellers? If your coach suggested you try or buy this horse then you need a new program ASAP. They are either incompetent or corrupt.
On the other hand, if you are off shopping entirely on your own with no trainer input then you need your trainer in the loop if even to look at videos. A good coach could tell you everything we have been able to, that it’s a roarer and very green and sellers are sketchy
You need better help in the shopping process because you don’t know what you don’t know, and there are a lot of sleazebag sellers out there at the low price points but also all the way up the food chain. And they will lie to you about absolutely everything including age, obvious issues, health and training. They will also drug dangerous horses.
I came here to say this and couldn’t find the words. It happened to me - luckily the horse worked out, after scaring the crap out of teenage me and two subsequent trainers for years. We traded (plus cash) my very nice horse for that one, and he was definitely worth LESS than my original horse. Both the seller and my trainer got a cut of the “surplus” we paid for him (on top of commission!) - we were scammed. But we trusted my trainer 
. I tried him in a saddle that didn’t fit and a De Gouge on a big leverage bit. They sent the DeGogue home with him.
It took YEARS and a whole lot of teenage stubbornness (and ability to bounce!) to turn him into a safe and rideable horse. I’d take another one of him in a heartbeat, but that is the exception for how these stories usually go.
If OP is still around….
Understand we speak from experience, not talking down to you at all. Fact we don’t want you to repeat bad, expensive mistakes we already made over the years. We learned the hard, painful way, you don’t have to. Might not like some of the advice or the way it’s worded but this beats dumping money into an unsuitable horse and/or a trip to the ER and missing work.
The other thing is you need to develop an inner BSometer to sift through bogus claims, lies and plain old Bullsh*t when shopping for horses. Most of us had to build ours from scratch, but you can run things by us and our BSometers can sound the warning bell.
Remember it’s better to just spend more for a more suitable horse in the first place. Heartbreaking to buy cheaper and end up with a 5k vet bill, hundreds to thousands in bits, bridles and saddle fitting fixes if not a new saddle only to find you still can’t ride it regularly and can’t even give away. BTDT, you don’t need to go there.
late to this
I am trying to get past a horse in a pelham AND a dropped noseband. I come to horses as hunter turned dressage. Been forever since around a pelham. They were not popular when I jumped sticks and never saw one in the Dressage barns I was at ( not permitted for showing)
you can also get noisy breathing in horses who are tense in the jaws and neck/throat connection. I wonder if she is pulling back her tongue. The horse is not really in contact in that brief vid where you can see the reins flopping. She is not into the bridle and I dont see 2 years worth of training. Why does this horse not have a saddle that fits. A pivoting saddle , which is what I think I see, is only harming her back
I think this horse is carrying a lot of physical and mental baggage. I agree She looks tense and her face looks like she is just staring. She is not a good candidate to be a first horse for an intermediate rider who may not have suitable trainer support. A trainer with a buying junior would be actively seeking candidates
OP did not state her goals for this horse. It does not look like a dressage or hunter/ EQ prospect. I think by spending more time or perhaps add the price of that custom saddle to her horse purchase bank, she might find a more suitable horse for her journey
OP is passing on the horse.The Pelham/Flash combination has been mentioned upthread.
good I hope she finds an amiable fellow she can show this summer, ready to go
OP if it makes you feel any better, horse shopping can be rough for everyone, it’s not just you. I don’t think there’s anyone on this board that hasn’t shown up to discover a horse wasn’t as advertised, or been led astray by a professional they trusted, or tried to talk themselves into buying something they knew they was a bad idea because they liked the horse/price/seller/whatever. It’s so easy to get excited about a horse and start thinking it’s THE ONE, and logic just starts to go out the window. We’ve all done it, no matter how much experience we have. I’m actually in the middle of doing it right now even as I write this - I spent this morning picking out possible show names for a horse I haven’t even sat on yet, so believe me I know how you feel.
There are a lot of threads on here about the horse shopping process. It’s worth looking through them for some moral support, and to learn how other people have navigated similar situations: WWYD horse shopping advice, Horse Buying/Selling Gripe Thread, and AAs of the $40K and under market: what was your shopping experience like? are a few good ones.
I hope you don’t get discouraged (by shopping or by this forum), and that you find a great horse and program for you soon. You’re clearly eager and open to learning and that will take you far, even if it may not feel like it now while you’re (presumably) young and limited on time and finances.
I am looking at a roarer right now. If he is quiet & sensible, I might have him scoped to find the actual cause. If it is something tie back surgery could correct, I will seriously consider that. He is just the size, body type I like. Unlike the OP, this would not be my first, but my last.
A lot of Ifs…
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